Saints keeper should be representing his country, says Mannus

Zander Clark has international future, according to former St Johnstone stopper

A Scotland call-up will come for St Johnstone keeper Zander Clark, according to his former club-mate Alan Mannus.

And the Northern Ireland man believes Clark should already have represented his country.

Mannus has eight caps and has been in many more squads, so he should know an international standard goalie when he sees one.

“Zander will get into the Scotland squad,” he said. “I think he should have been in it already.

“There is no doubt it will happen for him at some point and I can see him getting opportunities at a higher level than St Johnstone.

“When you look at some of the other young keepers in Scotland some nice things are being said about them.

“But I think Zander can match them and more because he has attributes others don’t have. Size is a big thing at higher levels in England and in the Championship.

“But in terms of goalkeeping attributes he has everything that is needed.

“I have been fortunate in training beside a lot of high level keepers at international level with Northern Ireland. They have played in the Championship and Premier League in England.

“I don’t think they are necessarily any better than Zander and at his age he is only going to get better in the next couple of years.”

The curse of the so-called smaller club may have cost Clark so far, according to Mannus, who has left Saints to return to Shamrock Rovers.

He said: “I think he might have suffered because St Johnstone aren’t seen as a fashionable, high-profile club.

“It’s like with the manager I suppose. Tommy Wright hasn’t had a chance to go to a bigger club in England while others without his track record have got their moves.

“It is the same with players here being overlooked for international recognition. I think there is that side to it. Look at Stevie May. He only got a call-up when he was in the English Championship.

“But Zander can only go on to bigger and better things.”

Picture: SNS. Zander Clark has been tipped for a Scotland call-up by former glove rival Alan Mannus.

Former St Johnstone keeper Alan Mannus, above, believes Zander Clark is good enough to represent his country.